Voters in the Historic West Side of Las Vegas hit the polls early on primary day, June 9, to begin casting their ballots.
The Doolittle Community Center near Lake Mead and MLK Boulevard saw steady traffic in the morning as handfuls of people shuffled in and out of the community center. Among a majority of voters, one concern remained consistent: high costs of living and healthcare.
Dinisha Mingo is a mental health practitioner and the founder of the nonprofit Solutions of Change. Though she usually votes as an independent, she registered as a democrat for this year’s primary.
“One of the biggest things that [is] very difficult for me is to see the rising costs in the cost of living, and watch those people who I know, who are working daily, fail to buy groceries ...” Mingo said. “Looking at the cost of produce, looking at the cost of gas, not being able to drive, sometimes even just to their jobs.”
Echoing concerns of many in the area, Mingo said she hopes her vote will have an impact on more than just herself, uplifting her community at large.
Las Vegas’ Historic West Side has a predominantly Black and Hispanic population, and the median household income for the area is $34,000 a year, according to nonprofit Healthy Connect.
